Apparatus and method for spraying color into cracks of a moving formed quartz slab to create veins in an engineered stone

ABSTRACT

An apparatus including a device which moves a first portion of a soft, damp, and/or wet slab out of alignment with a majority of the slab and thus introduces a first crack in the slab; and a device for spraying a first colored material into the first crack of the slab. The device which moves the first portion of the slab out of alignment with the rest of the slab may include a first lift bar. The device for spraying the first colored material in the first crack of the slab may include a first spray bar having a plurality of nozzles fixed thereto, arranged in a substantially straight line. In at least one embodiment, the apparatus may also include a device which moves a second portion of the slab out of alignment with the majority of the slab and thereby introduces a second crack in the slab.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

The present application is a divisional of and claims the priority ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/860,328, titled “APPARATUS ANDMETHOD FOR SPRAYING COLOR INTO CRACKS OF A MOVING FORMED QUARTZ SLAB TOCREATE VEINS IN AN ENGINEERED STONE”, filed on Jan. 2, 2018.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to improved methods and apparatus concerningquartz slabs.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in the Earth's crust and oneof the hardest naturally occurring materials. One of its many uses is in“engineered stone”. Engineered stone, including quartz, has become acommon surfacing and countertop choice in many countries throughout theworld. Its applications include kitchen and bathroom countertops, tablesand desktops, floor tile, food service areas, wall cladding, and variousother horizontal and vertical applications.

The production of engineered stone generally involves particulatematerials such as ground quartz rock, crushed glass, rocks, pebbles,sand, shells, silicon, and other inorganic materials combined withpolymers, binders, resins, colorants, dyes, etc. The particulatematerial(s) may be varying sizes ranging from four hundred mesh particlesize to four mesh particle size with multiple materials of differentsizes used simultaneously. The polymer may include agents to such as abinder, hardener, initiator, or combination of such. The particulatematerial(s) and polymers, binders, resins, colorants, dyes, etc. arethen mixed resulting in a slightly damp mixture. This initial mixturemay be processed through a crushing machine to reduce the size of thecombined particles. The resultant, finer mixture may be poured into asupporting mold, tray, or other supporting structure. The mold or traycontaining the damp mixture is then moved onto a conveyor belt with abacking sheet, then a processed damp “slab” is moved into a vacuum pressmachine to compress the material. The compressed material is then placedinto a curing machine to be heated into a hardened quartz slab. Aftercuring, the hardened slab is generally moved to a grinder to be grindeddown to a desired thickness, followed by a polisher to finish theproduct.

Quartz based stone has many advantages over natural stone such as marbleand granite. Compared to these natural stones quartz is harder,stronger, less water absorbent, and more resistant to staining,scratching, breakage, chemicals, and heat. One of the drawbacks ofquartz is its perceived lack of natural, random looking veins and colorpatterns compared with natural stones. This invention addresses a methodof producing a quartz based slab with single color patterns or multiplecolor patterns and/or veins.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In at least one embodiment, an apparatus is provided comprising a devicewhich moves a first portion of a slab out of alignment with a majorityof the slab and thereby introduces a first crack in the slab; and adevice for spraying a first colored material into the first crack of theslab. The slab typically is in a soft, damp, and/or wet state when thefirst portion of the slab is moved out of alignment with the majority ofthe slab.

In at least one embodiment, the device which moves the first portion ofthe slab out of alignment with the rest of the slab includes a firstlift bar. The device for spraying the first colored material in thefirst crack of the slab may include a first spray bar having a pluralityof nozzles fixed thereto, with the plurality of nozzles of the firstspray bar arranged in a substantially straight line.

In at least one embodiment, the apparatus may include a device whichmoves a second portion of the slab out of alignment with the majority ofthe slab and thereby introduces a second crack in the slab, while thefirst portion of the slab is out of alignment with the majority of theslab in response to the device which moves the first portion of the slabout of alignment with the majority of the slab. The apparatus mayinclude a device for spraying a second colored material into the secondcrack of the slab, which differs from the device for spraying the firstcolored material into the first crack of the slab, such that the firstcolored material is configured to be sprayed into the first crack of theslab while the second colored material is sprayed into the second crackof the slab.

In at least one embodiment, the apparatus may also include a conveyordevice; wherein the conveyor device is configured to move the slab overa least a portion of the device which moves the first portion of theslab out of alignment with the majority of the slab.

The conveyor device may be configured to move the slab over a least aportion of the device which moves the second portion of the slab out ofalignment with the majority of the slab.

The device for spraying the first colored material in the first crack ofthe slab may include a first spray bar having a plurality of nozzlesfixed thereto, with the plurality of nozzles of the first spray bararranged in a substantially straight line. The device for spraying thesecond colored material in the second crack of the slab may include asecond spray bar having a plurality of nozzles fixed thereto, with theplurality of nozzles of the second spray bar arranged in a substantiallystraight line.

The device which moves the first portion of the slab out of alignmentwith the majority of the slab may include a first lift bar; and thedevice which moves the second portion of the slab out of alignment withthe majority of the slab may include a second lift bar.

In at least one embodiment, the apparatus may include a computerprocessor; and a computer memory; wherein the computer processor isprogrammed by software in the computer memory to control the devicewhich moves the first portion of the slab out of alignment with themajority of the slab and thereby introduces the first crack in the slab;and the device for spraying the first colored material into the firstcrack of the slab.

A method is provided in at least one embodiment which may include movinga first portion of a slab out of alignment with a majority of the slaband thereby introducing a first crack in the slab; and spraying a firstcolored material into the first crack of the slab. The method may alsoinclude moving a second portion of a slab out of alignment with amajority of the slab and thereby introducing a second crack in the slab;and spraying a second colored material into the second crack of theslab; and wherein the second portion of the slab is moved out ofalignment with the majority of the slab while the first portion of theslab is moved out of alignment with the majority of the slab.

The method may employ further method steps, and may employ structure aspreviously noted and as further noted in the present application.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a top, left, and front perspective view of an apparatus inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention, with theapparatus of FIG. 1, in a first state;

FIG. 2 shows a top, left, and front close up perspective view of aportion of the apparatus of FIG. 1, with part of the apparatus of FIG. 1visible in FIG. 2, which is not visible in FIG. 1, with the apparatus ofFIG. 1 in the first state;

FIG. 3 shows a close up side view of a portion of the apparatus of FIG.1, with the apparatus of FIG. 1 in the first state;

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the apparatus of FIG. 1, with theapparatus of FIG. 1 in a second state;

FIG. 5 shows a caster railing which can be used instead of a lift bar inthe apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 shows image of a slab with a crack formed in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 shows side view wherein someone of the components of theapparatus of FIG. 1, have been replaced; and

FIG. 8 shows a simplified block diagram of a computer processor andcomponents which communicate with and/or are controlled by the computerprocessor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a top, left, and front perspective view of an apparatus 1in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, with theapparatus of FIG. 1, in a first state. The apparatus 1 includes servomotor 2, servo motor 4, servo motor 6, rods or tracks 8 and 10, liftbars 12 and 14, spray bars 20 and 22, a plurality of nozzles 24, aplurality of nozzles 25, spray bar structure 41, spray bar rotationservo motor 40, conveyor belt 26, roller 28, formed quartz slab 30, andbacking sheet 32. The formed quartz slab 30 in FIG. 1, is shown in asoft or damp form.

The apparatus 1 also includes U-shaped member 3, post 5, member 7,member 9, member 11, gear 13, and gear 15. The U-shaped member 3 mayhave openings 3 a and 3 b through which the rod or tracks 8 and 10 areinserted.

In operation, the U-shaped member 3 may be moved by the servo motor 2 tocause the U-shaped member 3 to slide in the directions D1 or D2, on therods or tracks 8 and 10, while the rods or tracks 8 and 10 remainstationary.

In addition, the lift bars 12 and 14 and spray bars 20 and 22 togethermay be rotated to change their orientation with respect to the conveyorbelt 26, with respect to the U-shaped member 3, and with respect to theconveyor belt length direction. For example, in FIG. 1, the conveyorbelt 26 is shown perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to therods or tracks 8 and 10, and with respect to the direction arrows ordirections D1 and D2, but lift bars 12 and 14 and spray bars 20 and 22may be rotated (while the conveyor belt 26 remains stationary) to be ata different angle with respect to the rods or tracks 8 and 10, and withrespect to the direction arrows or directions D1 and D2, and withrespect to conveyor belt 26 or rotated to be parallel to the rods ortracks 8 and 10, and parallel to the direction arrows or directions D1and D2.

Also, the servo motor 6 can drive the lift bars 12 and 14 up and down inthe directions U1 and D1, shown in FIG. 3, by driving members 7, 11, and17 up and down to cause the members 19 and 21 to go up and down, and theattached lift bars 12 and 14 to go up and down in the directions U1 andD1, shown in FIG. 3.

The servo motor 4 can drive lift bars 12 and 14 and the servo motor 40can drive spray bars 20 and 22 from zero to one hundred and eightydegrees, with respect to the conveyor belt 26. For example, in FIG. 1,the lift bars 12 and 14 and spray bars 20 and 22 are ninety degrees withrespect to the length of the conveyor belt 26. The servo motor 4 candrive lift bars 12 and 14, the servo motor 40 can drive spray bars 20and 22, to orient the components 12, 14, 20, and 22, parallel to theconveyor belt 26 (ninety degree rotation from FIG. 1), or at some otherangle, or a one hundred and eighty degree rotation which causes ends 20a and 20 b to swap locations and ends 22 a and 22 b to swap locations.

In at least one embodiment, colorant is sprayed onto a surface, and/orin the cracks of the surface, such as cracks 16 and 18 shown in FIG. 1,of the slab 30 through one or more of nozzles 24 and 25.

The conveyor belt 26 and the roller 28 may be part of an overallconveyor device, and the belt 26 and roller 28 may be driven by a motornot shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 2 shows a top, left, and front close up perspective view of aportion of the apparatus 1 of FIG. 1, with part of the apparatus 1 ofFIG. 1 visible in FIG. 2, which is not visible in FIG. 1, with theapparatus 1 of FIG. 1 in the first state.

FIG. 3 shows a close up side view of a portion of the apparatus 1 ofFIG. 1, with the apparatus 1 of FIG. 1 in the first state.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the apparatus 1 of FIG. 1, with theapparatus 1 of FIG. 1 in a second state, in which the lift bars 12 and14, together with the spray bars 20 and 22 have been driven to be at asubstantial longitudinal angle with respect to the conveyor belt 26 bythe servo motor 4 and servo motor 40.

FIG. 5 shows a caster railing which can be used instead of a lift bar inthe apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 shows an image of a soft or damp slab 130 (which may be similarto or identical to the slab 30 of FIG. 1) with a crack 130 a formed inaccordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a side view, wherein the components 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, and 21 have been removed and replaced by anapparatus 100 including component 114 which can be adjusted upwards inthe U2 direction or downwards in the D2 direction to set at a differentheight level with respect to surface level of belt 26. This can alsocause the passing through quartz slab surface 30 a′ to crack at adifferent height point, but the crack lines generally only occur in adirection perpendicular to the conveyor belt moving direction. In FIG.7, the slab is identified as slab 30′, the slab surface as 30 a′, thecracks as 16′ and 18′, because the cracks 16′ and 18′ will be somewhatdifferent from the cracks 16 and 18, and therefore the slab 30′ and theslab surface 30 a′ will be somewhat different from the soft and/or dampand/or wet slab 30 and surface 30 a shown in FIG. 1.

In at least one embodiment, the long lift bars 12 and 14 can be drivenup in the direction U1, shown in FIG. 3, by servo motor 6 to push up thesection of the conveyor belt 26 while a formed soft and damp quartz slab30 passes through on the conveyor belt 26, causing the quartz slabsurface at the points 16 and 18, above the lift bars 12 and 14,respectively, to crack, along the length direction of the lift bars 12and 14.

Each of the spray bars 20 and 22 contains a series of spray nozzles, 24and 25, respectively, positioned above the passing quartz slab 30 on thebelt 26, controlled by a computer processor 202, and will send bursts ofcolorant 27 and 29, shown in FIG. 3, onto the cracks 16 and 18 of thequartz slab 30.

In at least one embodiment, the spray bars 20 and 22 are always in afixed orientation with respect to the lift bars 12 and 14 so that thespray bar 20 is always right above lift bar 12 and the spray bar 22 isalways right above left bar 14, driven by servo motor 4 and 40,controlled by computer processor 202.

Generally, in at least one embodiment, if the lift bars 12 and 14 arerotated to a certain degree by servo motor 4, the servo motor 40 isprogrammed to rotate spray bars 22 and 24 to exactly the same degree inorder to line up components 12, 14 with 22, 24, as shown, for example,in FIG. 4, so that in this way, when spraying occurs the color can getinto the cracks, such as cracks 16 and 18 as shown in FIG. 3. Generally,it is critical, in at least one embodiment, that components 12, 14 and22, 24 be controlled, such as by computer processor 202 to be at thesame orientation, such as shown in FIG. 4, in order to position spraybar 20 directly above and aligned with lift bar 12, and spray bar 22directly above and aligned with lift bar 14, so that the series ofnozzles 24 directly above lift bar 12, and the series of nozzles 25directly above lift bar 14 can spray color material, down into crackscaused by lift bars 12 and 14. If spray bar 20 is not aligned with liftbar 12 and spray bar 22 is not aligned with lift bar 14, most of thecolor material will be sprayed outside of the cracks.

In addition, generally speaking as shown by FIG. 3, cracks 16 and 18typically occur, in at least one embodiment, when the portion of theslab 30 passes through a different height level, such as for examplemeasured from gear or component 13. Due to lift bar 12, a first portionof the slab 30 is moved upwards out of alignment with the majority ofthe slab 30. Due to lift bar 14, a second portion of the slab 30 is moveupwards out of alignment with the majority of the slab 30, at the sametime that the first portion of the slap 30 is moved out of alignmentwith the majority of the slab 30. After that portion of the slab 30passes through that different height level, for example after a portionof the slab 30 passes lift bar 12, the crack 16 will close. Similarlyafter a portion of the slab 30 passes lift bar 14, the crack 18 willclose. The spraying color material into the cracks 16 and 18, generallyis programmed to occur when the cracks 16 and 18 occur, not after.

In at least one embodiment of the present invention, a different heightlevel causes a a portion of a formed quartz slab surface 30 a to crackat a different height level point, while a crack exists, color materialis sprayed into the cracks, such as 16 and 18. The spraying of colormaterial can be done by a human with a spray gun, or by a spray bar orbars, such as 20 and 22, as described in this invention, or by robotwith a way to detect crack area and spray into cracks.

In addition, the direction of crack lines, such as lines 16 and 18 canbe controlled by the rotatable lift bars 12 and 14 in one or moreembodiments of the present invention.

The lift bars 12 and 14 are sitting on top of members 19 and 21, whichare connected to gear 13, and which can cause the lift bars 12 and 14 torotate to a certain direction as desired, from zero to one hundredeighty degrees, driven by a servo motor 4 and controlled by the computer202. The lift bars 12 and 14 can be raised when cracks in certain areaof the surface of a passing through quartz slab on belt are needed, andat the same time when the cracks occur, the colorant is sprayed into thecracks, such as shown for cracks 16 and 18, with colorant 27 and 29shown in FIG. 3, controlled by computer processor 200.

In general, the higher the lift bars 12 and 14 are raised, the wider thecracks 16 and 18 on the surface of 30 a of the passing through quartzslab 30 will be, and therefore when sprayed, the deeper the colorant 27and 29 on the inner walls, such as 16 a and 18 a of the cracks 16 and18, will penetrate, and the denser of the colorant 27 and 29 on walls,such as 16 a and 18 a of cracks 16 and 18 will be. I.e. typically morepenetration means darker and deeper crack veins.

When a substantial longitudinal direction (along the length of the slab30) crack veins in a quartz slab are needed, the bars 12 and 14 arerotated to that orientation, such as shown in FIG. 4, and the barstructure, including bars 12 and 14, can be moved on tracks or rods 8and 10, so it can be moved in and out underneath the conveyor belt 26 tobe positioned at desired area. If more crack lines are needed in thelongitudinal direction, the conveyor belt 26 can be stopped, in responseto the computer processor 202, and the lift bar structure, includingbars 12 and 14, can continue to move on tracks 8 and 10 to a desiredarea and colorant can be sprayed into cracks above the lift bars in themanner previously described.

Lift bars 12 and 14 can be equipped with bearings, so it can have lessresistance when raised against the moving conveyor belt 26. For example,in FIG. 5, a caster railing 52 can be used as a lift bar, instead oflift bar 12, to achieve the same result. In such an embodiment, thecircular cross section of the caster wheel 52 a of the caster railing 52can be replaced in substituted in FIG. 3 for the circular cross sectionof the bar 12.

FIG. 7 shows an apparatus 100 which replaces various components shown inFIG. 3. The apparatus 100 may include a junction plate 114, a first beltstructure including belt 104 and rollers 102 and 106, and a second beltstructure including belt 110, and rollers 108 and 112. By adjusting thejunction plate 114, up and down in the directions U2 and D2 between twoseparate belt structures different height levels with respect to thesurface level of a moving conveyor belt 26, this also causes, in atleast one embodiment, the passing through formed quartz slab surface 30a above the junction plate 114 area to crack, but the crack lines aresubstantially only in the cross direction of the moving belts 104 and110 or moving quartz slab 30. Any height difference may cause thepassing through slab 30 surface to crack at the height different point,and colorant may be sprayed into the cracks 16′ and 18′ at the sametime.

FIG. 4 shows lift bars 12 and 14 and spray bars 20 and 22 in a diagonalorientation with respect to a length of the conveyor belt 26, whereinthe conveyor belt 26 has a width which is substantially less than itslength.

Once the entire formed quartz slab passed the lift bar area and desiredarea of crack lines created and colorant sprayed into the desiredsection of the (the on-off of all nozzles on the spray bars 20 and 22can be controlled separately if needed) cracks, the quartz slab 30 istransferred to a vacuumed press machine. When the press machine islowered onto the quartz composite material 30, the cracks 16 and 18 (or16′ and 18′) sprayed with colorant will become lines of the colorant inthe quartz slab that simulate veins in natural stone on the surface ofthe slab after the slab 30 has been cured, grinded, and polished.

FIG. 8 shows a simplified block diagram 200 including a computerprocessor 202 and components communicating with and/or controlled by thecomputer processor 202.

Referring to FIG. 8, the diagram 200, shows a computer processor 202, acomputer memory 204, a computer display 206, a computer interactivedevice 208 (such as a computer mouse, touchscreen, or computerkeyboard), and in simplified block diagram form, the conveyor devicemotor for conveyor belt 26, the first servo motor 2, the second servomotor 4, the third servo motor 6, the nozzles 24, and the nozzles 25.The computer processor communicates with and controls the components 26,2, 4, 6, 24, and 25, as well as components 204, 206, and 208.

In operation, the computer processor 202 is programmed by computersoftware stored in the computer memory 204, and/or controlled by thecomputer interactive device 208 to control the components 26, 2, 4, 6,24, 25, 24 a, and 25 a.

In one or more embodiments, spray bars 20 and 22 may be replaced by ahuman hand with a spray gun, in order to add randomness in missing someof the crack area, wherein said randomness may be desired. In otherembodiments, a robot sprayer with a photo sensor may replace spray bars20 and 22, wherein the photo sensor is used to spot or detect cracks andspray in the cracks as desired. There may be other ways to spray intothe cracks.

Even though the rotation of the lift bars 12 and 14 are shown in one ormore embodiments, as driven by servo motor 4 and controlled by computerprocessor 202, in alternative embodiments, the rotation of lift bars 12and 14 can occur by hand.

Even though the up and down movement of FIG. 1, of the member 7 in FIG.2 is driven by servo motor 6 and controlled by the computer processor202 in one or more embodiments, in alternative embodiments, the up anddown movement of the member 7 can be implemented manually, such as by ahand jack.

Even though the device including member 3, move in directions D1 and D2,in at least one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, driven by servo motor 2and controlled by the computer 202, the member 3, and components fixedthereto can be rolled in the directions D1 and D2, shown in FIG. 1, inalternative embodiments by hand.

Although the invention has been described by reference to particularillustrative embodiments thereof, many changes and modifications of theinvention may become apparent to those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is thereforeintended to include within this patent all such changes andmodifications as may reasonably and properly be included within thescope of the present invention's contribution to the art.

I claim:
 1. A method for using an apparatus, wherein the apparatuscomprises a device which moves a first portion of a slab out ofalignment with a majority of the slab and thereby introduces a firstcrack in the slab; and a device for spraying a first material having acolor into the first crack of the slab, so that the first crack sprayedwith the first material becomes a line having the color of the firstmaterial; a conveyor device which is configured to move in a firstdirection; and and wherein the conveyor device is configured to move theslab over a least a portion of the device which moves the first portionof the slab out of alignment with the majority of the slab; and furthercomprising the steps of: moving the first portion of the slab out ofalignment with a majority of the slab and thereby introducing the firstcrack in the slab; and spraying the first material having the color intothe first crack of the slab.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein theapparatus further comprises a device for rotating the device which movesthe first portion of the slab, to allow the device which moves the firstportion of the slab to be set at different angles with respect to thefirst direction; and the method further comprises rotating the devicewhich moves the first portion of the slab by using the device forrotating to change the angle of the device which moves the first portionof the slab with respect to the first direction.
 3. The method of claim1 wherein the slab is in a damp state when the first portion of the slabis moved out of alignment with the majority of the slab.
 4. The methodof claim 3 further comprising causing the first crack to close after thefirst material is sprayed into the first crack.
 5. The method of claim 1wherein the device which moves the first portion of the slab out ofalignment with the rest of the slab includes a first lift bar.
 6. Themethod of claim 1 wherein the device for spraying the first material inthe first crack of the slab includes a first spray bar having aplurality of nozzles fixed thereto, with the plurality of nozzles of thefirst spray bar arranged in a substantially straight line.
 7. The methodof claim 1 further comprising moving a second portion of a slab out ofalignment with a majority of the slab and thereby introducing a secondcrack in the slab; and spraying a second material having a color intothe second crack of the slab; and wherein the second portion of the slabis moved out of alignment with the majority of the slab while the firstportion of the slab is moved out of alignment with the majority of theslab.
 8. The method of claim 7 wherein the conveyor device is configuredto move the slab over at least a portion of the device which moves thesecond portion of the slab out of alignment with the majority of theslab.
 9. The method of claim 7 wherein a first spray bar having aplurality of nozzles fixed thereto, with the plurality of nozzles of thefirst spray bar arranged in a substantially straight line is used tospray the first material in the first crack of the slab; and a secondspray bar having a plurality of nozzles fixed thereto, with theplurality of nozzles of the second spray bar arranged in a substantiallystraight line is used to spray the second material in the second crackof the slab.
 10. The method of claim 7 wherein a first lift bar is usedto move the first portion of the slab out of alignment with the majorityof the slab; and a second lift bar is used to move the second portion ofthe slab out of alignment with the majority of the slab.
 11. The methodof claim 1 wherein a computer processor is programmed by software in acomputer memory to control movement of the first portion of the slab outof alignment with the majority of the slab and thereby introduces thefirst crack in the slab; and spraying of the first material into thefirst crack of the slab.
 12. The method of claim 1 wherein the apparatusis further comprised of: a computer processor; and a computer memory;and wherein the computer processor is programmed by software in thecomputer memory to control the device which moves the first portion ofthe slab, the device for spraying the first material, the conveyordevice, and the device for rotating the device which moves the firstportion of the slab.